Almaya in for world champs

ATHLETICS HAIMRO Almaya has joined fellow Israeli athletes Maru Teferi and Girmaw Amare in qualifying for the men’s marathon at this year’s World Championships in Doha.

Almaya, 28, won gold at the Israeli national marathon championships in Tiberias – said to be the lowest course in the world, at 200m below sea level – in a time of 2:15.16.

First place in the women’s race went to Beatie Deutsch, 29, a Charedi mother of five who took up running three years ago. The Tiberias event, which she finished in 2:42.18, was only her fourthever marathon. She was also the fastest Israeli woman at the Jerusalem marathon last March.

The UK indoor season is under way, and at the London Indoor Games at Lee Valley, Maccabi London Harrier Jayden Klein, 12, set new best times in both the 60m (8.65) and the 200m (29.55).

Liina Otsalu, 23, also of MLH, improved her 60m personal best to 8.87 at the Lee Valley New Year Open, where she completed the 200m in 30.41 in her first official race at the distance.

At the same meeting, Colette Hurley’s time of 52.82 for the 300m, a club record for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, took her to the top of the UK’s V55 rankings.

Lia Radus finished in second place in the U17 6k course in 23.06 at the Middlesex cross country county championships in Greenford, west London.

U15 competitor Maayan Radus finished third over 4k in 15.13, and Lauren Maltz, 13, improved her 3K time to 13.54.

Nick Gold was the third-placed V45 finisher in the senior men’s 12k race in 43.58, beating over 50 younger runners.